


Robert And Marlon In The Woolpack Kitchen

by theprincessed



Series: Village Talk [21]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Coda, Coitus Interruptus, Conversations, Gen, Kissing, M/M, Post-Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 06:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11178663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: At the reception of their wedding, Robert ends up in the Woolpack kitchen to talk love and life…(Set post-episode 21st February 2017)





	Robert And Marlon In The Woolpack Kitchen

**Author's Note:**

> I promised a couple of people I was writing another VT and here’s what came out…mainly as an excuse for the second half lol. I am so Robron rusty ugh.
> 
> Hope you enjoy anyway! x

After a mercifully brief but emotional speech where Robert was successful as promised in making Aaron cry just a little (and it being weirdly nice that it was _happy_ tears for once), he lets Chas fuss over her son and ends up breaking away from the pub bouncing with life and joy to take a moment for himself in the corridor, music and chatter still as loud as if he was in the thick of it. His feet move him further in until he pushes at the swing doors of the Woolpack kitchen. He's not expecting to see Marlon drunkenly hunched over a tray of salad that Robert guesses many of their guests won't be that interested by.

“Oh, hi,” he blinks at the other man, at how Marlon straightens immediately and sways. Like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't, instead of his job as co-chef of a shotgun wedding reception.

“Hello,” he says to Robert in the same surprised tone. Robert looks around at a stack of dirty plates, pots and pans and their pristine cousins primed with party food at Liv's demand and ready to go back out into the pub for those in need of soaking up beer and champagne. “Sorry, can I help with anything?”

“No, no, I was – uh – looking for - ” Robert clutches his pint glass tighter and making the excuse of _Vic_ is on the tip of his tongue but Marlon's wearing that open expression of his that he once found quite gormless, but now finds somewhat a comfort and a calling to confide, so he shakes his thoughts from his head and starts again. “Actually, you're just the man I was looking for.”

“I don't think so, mate,” Marlon chuckles, “I'm not Aaron,”

“I'd run a mile,” Robert smirks, following the joke to reminisce on similar words he'd said to Aaron's cousin last year. The door swings behind him as he stops loitering and comes into the kitchen properly , inwardly enjoying Marlon's aborted move to tell him not to as he leans back against one of the shiny counters, just like he has done several times in conversations with his sister, including the one that lead to him having a ring on his finger that matches what's on Aaron's left hand. “Seriously, I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to thank you, for helping with today..”

“Wow, marriage changing you already is it?” Marlon crows with a beaming smile before he sees Robert's raised eyebrow and mistakes his amusement for disapproval, “Sorry, I – I mean, you're welcome.”

“That's the thing,” he confesses quietly to his pint glass, staring down into the amber liquid, convincing himself he's alone, “I actually think it will. With Chrissie, I didn't feel different.” Guilt, terror, grief but it wasn't anything to do with her that day, sadly. “Tonight, I do. Aaron changed everything for me. I feel - ” he risks a glance up to see he has Marlon's undivided attention before he quickly looks away and moves a sausage roll an inch to the right and that's inexplicably when he realises that Marlon Dingle has a good soul. He's listening to Robert of all people and in some ways it holds even greater poignancy now because they're _family_ and that makes him push the words out. “I feel different with him. Safe. Aaron makes me feel safe.”

Marlon smiles kindly, his tie entirely crooked and halfway down his chest. “As long as you take care of each other, you can get through anything.”

Robert thinks about Aaron going to prison tomorrow, watching the man he loves more than life itself being ripped away from him because of a reckless mistake. He has no idea how he's supposed to take care of him whilst he's inside, but he knows he has to try. Not just for their sake, but for Liv as well. Feeling emotional, he swallows hard. “Is this your Dingle threat speech?” he snorts feebly, trying to get back to winding Marlon up. “I must admit, I didn't expect it from you. Cain, maybe, but not you.”

“No, no, of course not,” Marlon says earnestly then shrugs with a smile, “Trust me, I've had my fair share of run-ins with the Dingle court in my time, so I know what it's like to be on the outside, looking in. It's best if you and Aaron stick together.” Robert finds his curiosity piqued, wondering if there's more to this man than he ever gives him credit for because he really doesn't know much of his history, but Marlon's expression turns wistful and he sighs before Robert can dig any deeper. “I felt it too y'know, getting married, like they're it for you. That's how you know it's love.”

“Which time?” he asks wryly.

Having edged closer, Marlon scoffs and shoves at Robert's shoulder for the jibe about his previous three marriages before he stutters and smooths a hand over Robert's suit jacket, only dishevelled by the day's events as the groom relaxed bit by bit. The door opens as Marlon is picking invisible lint from Robert's elbow and Aaron stumbles in, looking flushed with happiness and booze as a reprieve from the tears shed as he and Robert had had a moment in the dark outside. 

“Coming onto my husband on my wedding day, Marlon?” he slurs, pointing with the hand that holds his glass so that beer sloshes over his shirtsleeve. 

Marlon's eyes turns into saucers as he yelps, tripping backwards and catching his back against the corner of the opposite counter. “What? No!”

“Mate, take a joke,” he chuckles and Robert looks at him softly, feels his heart melt because Aaron's his and Aaron's great. Aaron's beautiful. In fact, his husband sees Robert staring and he blinks slowly, eyelashes fluttering as something unspoken passes between them. Silences are rarely uncomfortable these days, but they forget that everybody else won't feel the same way and Robert tears his gaze from Aaron when Marlon awkwardly bobs around in his periphery. 

“Right, well – I'll just take these – um – out,” he declares, picking up the first plate he sees of a cheese and pineapple hedgehog instead of the salad crafted before, which is probably a compromise between him and Liv because she's definitely too young to realise how kitsch that is, but it's obviously more acceptable than fancy foam and julienned vegetables. 

Neither he nor Aaron says anything to the contrary and simply watch as Marlon scuttles back into the pub, leaving them alone. The noise from out there is a thump that Robert times with his pulse, coursing in his chest and his jaw and happy to let it drop south as he puts his pint down a safe distance away and pulls Aaron towards him instead by the untucked front of his shirt. 

“C'mere, you,” he says fondly, suppressing his eye roll as Aaron hurries to take another gulp of his drink before Robert takes that off him as well. He tastes entirely of beer when they kiss and Robert deepens it for long enough to get him hooked, Aaron's gruff sound of protest as he rests their foreheads together making his toes tingle in his shoes. “So, Mr Sugden. It's the night, it's our wedding reception...”

He's teasing, fishing, and Aaron shakes his head whilst he gets a firmer grip on Robert's elbows, being sure that he won't go far even when they aren't kissing. “Shut up, Robert,” he growls and darts in with his mouth again.

“What, no 'shut up, Mr Dingle'?”

Robert laughingly turns his face at the last second and Aaron's lips land on his cheek, but his husband isn't particularly deterred and he yanks at Robert's tie to start attacking the buttons of his waistcoat and presses kisses to his neck. It's more effective than anything Aaron could say and he nudges Aaron's lips back to his as they continue to undress each other. 

He shivers as Aaron's hand brushes up from his chest, pushing the open garments off his shoulders and down his arms, Robert letting them drop to the floor to leave him shirtless. He's warm with alcohol and desire and the heat of Aaron's skin as the red sides of his undone tie stay around his neck and Robert quickly unbuttons his shirt too, pulling their bodies close enough that their belts touch. 

At the frantic rub of their tongues and the most delicious moan from his new husband, Robert's about to say fuck it and get him naked right here when the door swings open again and they break their kiss but Robert's arms around Aaron's waist don't let him move back.

“No! No!” Marlon cries, covering his face with his now empty hands, “What are you doing?! This is my kitchen!”

“And my sister's,” Robert teases, unashamed in his half-nakedness, “and we live here,”

“Exactly!” he says, appalled, flapping his arms at them, “Get out of the kitchen if you're gonna – gonna – do that!”

Aaron ducks his head, not quite as into the humour of being caught. Robert was annoyed when Charity caught them in the shower, but only because it had cut short any hope he had of getting off. “Robert, come on,”

He wriggles from Robert's grasp, picks up the half heap of Robert's suit and thrusts it at his bare chest before he pulls his shirt around himself and shuffles out with Robert behind him. “Are you sure I can't pay you to go away for a while?” he says as he swaggers past, mostly joking.

“Get out!” Marlon stubbornly demands, pointing. “You've got a - a bedroom for a reason! Newlyweds is not an excuse! This is unhygienic!” he shouts at their retreating backs.

“God, that was embarrassing,” Aaron grumbles as they hurry up the stairs. “I can't believe I nearly let you do that,”

Robert pushes at his shoulder once they clear the top step, “Oi! You kissed me!” he laughs. Usually, he'd treat his clothes with a little more respect, especially a suit bought for such a special day, but it's his wedding night and he wants his husband, so he leaves a trail of them to the bed as they finish getting down to their underwear and he tackles Aaron beneath him. He looked gorgeous in his suit (and even in his overalls, if Robert's honest), but this is how Robert likes him best – no barriers, physical or otherwise. “Now,” he purrs, ruffling Aaron's hair and leaning in, “where were we?”

“What were you and Marlon talking about anyway?” Aaron hisses out when Robert sucks at his neck to get them back in the mood after being so rudely interrupted.

“Suddenly I can't remember.” he grins roguishly, as his hand travels south between his husband's legs, but he secretly vows to do as Marlon said.

He'll take care of and try his best for Aaron and Liv.

They're too important to lose.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


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